How to choose smart watches today and what happens with this market in general
Epigraph
“Is this your“ smart watch ”or just beautiful?”
(c) Bashorg
Starting your blog on Habré Giktayms, the guys from iCover asked to write a text about smart watches and generally tell about the current situation in the market. Last year I actively dug this topic and therefore I agreed. Especially because they have a decent selection of models in the store.
')
If you do not want to read a long sheet, then here is a brief squeeze: in my consumer and non-binding view, the situation at the beginning of June 2015 is quite simple - Pebble Steel is still the best watch. Excuse me.
And now the details of theletter :
First, let's honestly understand why we need these smart watches at all? It is actually very important not to suffer from high expectations. So, besides the standard notifications about calls and messages, as well as music management, the clock is very convenient:
The last passage may cause some confusion - we're talking about the clock. The trick is that after buying smart watches, most owners begin to experiment with functions, forgetting about the basic functionality. And only then, quickly playing up with limited settings, pay attention to the dial. And here begins the most interesting. The fact is, a good dial will allow you to change the watch on your hand as many times as you like. Here you have a classic chronometer, suitable for a suit, here you have a sports watch from the Formula1 series, here is a classic watch, but an electronic one, perfectly suitable for an informal meeting.
Photo from Sergey Vilyanov's blog . The headline illustration is from Thewirecutter.com 's favorite product selection blog .
This is about what is convenient. And now, which is inconvenient or strange:
Now smoothly proceed to the choice of a particular model.
Under iOS, alas, you have to wait for Apple Watch. There are simply no other sane alternatives. Under Android, everything is a bit more interesting, but, despite the huge number of models, there are no more than 5 interesting watches. I will explain a little further why.
The best , as I wrote at the very beginning, is Pebble Steel. Why: first, they keep the battery for 5 days. This, in fact, could be finished. Secondly, they allow you to configure notifications more accurately, compared to Android Wear. For example, I was very pleased with the inbox mail service, which allowed me not to react to unimportant letters. In the case of Pebble Steel, the situation is very similar - I receive notifications only from those applications that I need. Thirdly, unlike plastic Pebble, they look like decent watches (review on Habré).
Alas, this watch is not perfect. To begin with, they are black and white. This can sometimes be interpreted as a plus, because in the bright sun their dial is easily distinguishable, but in most cases it is still a minus. Secondly, they do not understand the Cyrillic - instead of Russian messages, empty rectangles will come to you. It is treated with third-party firmware, but for obvious reasons, they are behind the official ones. Thirdly, this watch was created by enthusiasts for the money collected on Kickstarter, and it still gives away craftsmanship from their assembly. She assembly, frankly, not perfect. For example, quite often complaints about interference on the screen. It is treated disassembly and lining gum (!).
Well, i.e. You already understood - this is a great watch for someone who starts the morning with the custom firmware of the phone from under the modified recovery. If these words do not tell you, go ahead.
Good too : Motorola Moto 360.
What is pleasant platform Android Wear - its mass and regular updates. Yes, Pebble Steel fans will forgive me (actually, I forgive myself), but the Pebble platform will never become a mass and money for developers, which means it is doomed to lag and degrade. The rest of Android Wear is like a small child - the prospects are good, but so far can not enough and much has to be explained. But growing and learning every day.
On Android Wear, the most curious watch is the Motorola Moto 360. First, they are cheap (well, as cheap, cheaper than their competitors).
Secondly, they keep the battery well - up to two days after the last update. Thirdly, they are very beautiful. Fourth, with them goes a great base station, turning them into a cool alarm clock. Everything else - like a dozen other watches on Android Wear.
Among the shortcomings - outdated voracious processor and a small black bar at the bottom of the screen. The first flaw seems to have been corrected by updates, the second one is treated by setting the black dial.
Better than them, only LG G Watch R, but, alas, they are much more expensive.
But LG G Watch R has an OLED display, which allows you to save battery and live a little longer. Well, they are more smart somehow. By the way, in one of the comments I met the idea that on round hours it would be possible to make a wheel on the edges of the screen, the rotation of which would allow choosing menu items. The LG G Watch R just has a convenient plastic bezel, but, alas, it does not spin at all. In my opinion, such a beautiful idea simply did not occur to developers.
Very cheap, but also good : Sony SW2
Even before Google released Android Wear, watch manufacturers riveted their devices on their own Android versions. Best of all, in my opinion, it turned out the Sony SW2. There was his Android, synchronized with the phone through a special application. The clock lived for a long time and had a bunch of applications. Actually, jokes are jokes, but the old Sony SW2 functionally do more recent Android Wear. Those. Sony SW2 watches are cooler than Sony SW3. But, alas, this is also a dead end path of development. Watch on Android Wear still grow, but Sony SW2 is unlikely to become smarter.
The warmest Android lamp
By the way, one funny moment is connected with the period before Android Wear - manufacturers tried so hard to invent their own bicycle that Samsung, for example, decided to change horses at a ferry in one of its models - one fine day released an update replacing the Samsung Gear watch from Android to Tizen. At first, users were delighted - the clock began to live twice as long. But then they became depressed because it was not so easy with applications, and after the update it became very tight. In general, there is its own, special atmosphere.
A watch that no one suspects is smart : Withings Activite
Not everyone, not all, fit the look of a smart watch. In fact, for a long time the clock was a status thing. And serious people who wear something expensive on their wrists are simply scared off by all these shiny and somehow living life watches. Therefore, especially for respectable gentlemen (and in fact for people, due to various circumstances, they have to look strictly) there is a great option in the form of Withings Activite. They resemble the usual classic watches and are equipped with an additional dial, taking into account the steps. Those. you set yourself a goal to go 10 thousand steps, and the dial counts the percentage of the goal.
By the way, manufacturers of classic watches slowly turn around to face danger and are beginning to invent something there. For example, Montblanc came up with a smart strap that attaches to a regular watch. The usual Montblanc, of course. Classic functionality to classic look.
Breguet made it even easier - they released an application that controls the chronometer.
The price tag in both cases ishorse premium.
The watch from the Casio G-Shock series, living on batteries for about a year (!), Stands apart. But they can only report the presence of a notification (Hurray! A letter to you. But what a letter, I will not say, go into the phone) and switch music tracks. But normal such G-Shock.
What's next:
I could be mistaken, but at the moment the most promising seem to watch ZenWatch 2. They also have an OLED-display, a capacious battery and come in several sizes (you can pick up your hand).
LG Watch Urbane LTE with LTE support and 700mAh battery should be released soon. True, they will be released on surprise surprise webOS almost deceased. In general, we must look and feel.
And about the possible future of interfaces in general. I already wrote about the spinning wheel (by the way, it's funny again, Apple advises washing the watch head with running water). In addition to this idea, there is another interesting notion. The guys from Deus Ex Technology came out on a kickstarter with a draft of sensors that control the clock with a brush movement.
They connect directly to Pebble (therefore, the kit costs $ 69), and for Android Wear use Bluetooth. Therefore, the kit costs as another smart watch - $ 169.
Findings:
Alas, but so far smart watches do not offer anything revolutionary. At the moment, this is a slightly wiser chronometer, which is trying to die every two days. However, if you have a clear idea why they need you - for me, for example, the SMS passwords and unlocking via Bluetooth were decisive - feel free to take it. They are worth it. Otherwise, it is worth waiting for the change of generations of batteries or a little more smarter Android Wear.
Afterword from iCover : Dear readers, when creating this blog, we really wanted to make not just a place to mention our store, but a platform for sharing experiences and a blog where you can get good advice or expertise in the world of gadgets. Subscribe to us and we promise - it won't be boring. The price of the models described can be viewed in our catalog of smart watches . Have a nice day.
“Is this your“ smart watch ”or just beautiful?”
(c) Bashorg
Starting your blog on Habré Giktayms, the guys from iCover asked to write a text about smart watches and generally tell about the current situation in the market. Last year I actively dug this topic and therefore I agreed. Especially because they have a decent selection of models in the store.
')
If you do not want to read a long sheet, then here is a brief squeeze: in my consumer and non-binding view, the situation at the beginning of June 2015 is quite simple - Pebble Steel is still the best watch. Excuse me.
And now the details of the
First, let's honestly understand why we need these smart watches at all? It is actually very important not to suffer from high expectations. So, besides the standard notifications about calls and messages, as well as music management, the clock is very convenient:
- View SMS from a bank or from two-factor authentication systems. In addition to jokes, the presence of hours makes it comfortable and almost not disturbing.
- Unlock the phone simply by the presence of hours nearby (Bluetooth identification). For me personally, this was decisive.
- Save battery power on the phone due to less frequent switching.
- Quickly dictate notes to yourself or respond to messages with a voice.
- And the fifth - the most important thing - is to coolly show the time.
The last passage may cause some confusion - we're talking about the clock. The trick is that after buying smart watches, most owners begin to experiment with functions, forgetting about the basic functionality. And only then, quickly playing up with limited settings, pay attention to the dial. And here begins the most interesting. The fact is, a good dial will allow you to change the watch on your hand as many times as you like. Here you have a classic chronometer, suitable for a suit, here you have a sports watch from the Formula1 series, here is a classic watch, but an electronic one, perfectly suitable for an informal meeting.
Photo from Sergey Vilyanov's blog . The headline illustration is from Thewirecutter.com 's favorite product selection blog .
This is about what is convenient. And now, which is inconvenient or strange:
- From most hours, neither a fitness tracker nor a sleep tracker will work.
The reason is very simple - with an average hour life of about a day, the option when it stays on your wrist all night is unaffordable luxury. In addition, most of them are quite massive, which makes them voluntary handcuffs. - Most of them are useless without a phone.
For most applications, you need a big brother in the form of a phone. Fortunately, the situation is changing for the better with the latest update of Android Wear, allowing some hours to connect to Wi-fi - Navigator and all sorts of Google Now is also not very functional.
Seriously, this is so rarely needed that such a use case can hardly be the main reason for the purchase. So, sometimes indulge. From here, by the way, comes the fourth paragraph - You will look very silly talking to the clock. Everything, point.
Now smoothly proceed to the choice of a particular model.
Under iOS, alas, you have to wait for Apple Watch. There are simply no other sane alternatives. Under Android, everything is a bit more interesting, but, despite the huge number of models, there are no more than 5 interesting watches. I will explain a little further why.
The best , as I wrote at the very beginning, is Pebble Steel. Why: first, they keep the battery for 5 days. This, in fact, could be finished. Secondly, they allow you to configure notifications more accurately, compared to Android Wear. For example, I was very pleased with the inbox mail service, which allowed me not to react to unimportant letters. In the case of Pebble Steel, the situation is very similar - I receive notifications only from those applications that I need. Thirdly, unlike plastic Pebble, they look like decent watches (review on Habré).
Alas, this watch is not perfect. To begin with, they are black and white. This can sometimes be interpreted as a plus, because in the bright sun their dial is easily distinguishable, but in most cases it is still a minus. Secondly, they do not understand the Cyrillic - instead of Russian messages, empty rectangles will come to you. It is treated with third-party firmware, but for obvious reasons, they are behind the official ones. Thirdly, this watch was created by enthusiasts for the money collected on Kickstarter, and it still gives away craftsmanship from their assembly. She assembly, frankly, not perfect. For example, quite often complaints about interference on the screen. It is treated disassembly and lining gum (!).
Well, i.e. You already understood - this is a great watch for someone who starts the morning with the custom firmware of the phone from under the modified recovery. If these words do not tell you, go ahead.
Good too : Motorola Moto 360.
What is pleasant platform Android Wear - its mass and regular updates. Yes, Pebble Steel fans will forgive me (actually, I forgive myself), but the Pebble platform will never become a mass and money for developers, which means it is doomed to lag and degrade. The rest of Android Wear is like a small child - the prospects are good, but so far can not enough and much has to be explained. But growing and learning every day.
On Android Wear, the most curious watch is the Motorola Moto 360. First, they are cheap (well, as cheap, cheaper than their competitors).
Secondly, they keep the battery well - up to two days after the last update. Thirdly, they are very beautiful. Fourth, with them goes a great base station, turning them into a cool alarm clock. Everything else - like a dozen other watches on Android Wear.
Among the shortcomings - outdated voracious processor and a small black bar at the bottom of the screen. The first flaw seems to have been corrected by updates, the second one is treated by setting the black dial.
Better than them, only LG G Watch R, but, alas, they are much more expensive.
But LG G Watch R has an OLED display, which allows you to save battery and live a little longer. Well, they are more smart somehow. By the way, in one of the comments I met the idea that on round hours it would be possible to make a wheel on the edges of the screen, the rotation of which would allow choosing menu items. The LG G Watch R just has a convenient plastic bezel, but, alas, it does not spin at all. In my opinion, such a beautiful idea simply did not occur to developers.
Very cheap, but also good : Sony SW2
Even before Google released Android Wear, watch manufacturers riveted their devices on their own Android versions. Best of all, in my opinion, it turned out the Sony SW2. There was his Android, synchronized with the phone through a special application. The clock lived for a long time and had a bunch of applications. Actually, jokes are jokes, but the old Sony SW2 functionally do more recent Android Wear. Those. Sony SW2 watches are cooler than Sony SW3. But, alas, this is also a dead end path of development. Watch on Android Wear still grow, but Sony SW2 is unlikely to become smarter.
The warmest Android lamp
By the way, one funny moment is connected with the period before Android Wear - manufacturers tried so hard to invent their own bicycle that Samsung, for example, decided to change horses at a ferry in one of its models - one fine day released an update replacing the Samsung Gear watch from Android to Tizen. At first, users were delighted - the clock began to live twice as long. But then they became depressed because it was not so easy with applications, and after the update it became very tight. In general, there is its own, special atmosphere.
A watch that no one suspects is smart : Withings Activite
Not everyone, not all, fit the look of a smart watch. In fact, for a long time the clock was a status thing. And serious people who wear something expensive on their wrists are simply scared off by all these shiny and somehow living life watches. Therefore, especially for respectable gentlemen (and in fact for people, due to various circumstances, they have to look strictly) there is a great option in the form of Withings Activite. They resemble the usual classic watches and are equipped with an additional dial, taking into account the steps. Those. you set yourself a goal to go 10 thousand steps, and the dial counts the percentage of the goal.
By the way, manufacturers of classic watches slowly turn around to face danger and are beginning to invent something there. For example, Montblanc came up with a smart strap that attaches to a regular watch. The usual Montblanc, of course. Classic functionality to classic look.
Breguet made it even easier - they released an application that controls the chronometer.
The price tag in both cases is
The watch from the Casio G-Shock series, living on batteries for about a year (!), Stands apart. But they can only report the presence of a notification (Hurray! A letter to you. But what a letter, I will not say, go into the phone) and switch music tracks. But normal such G-Shock.
What's next:
I could be mistaken, but at the moment the most promising seem to watch ZenWatch 2. They also have an OLED-display, a capacious battery and come in several sizes (you can pick up your hand).
LG Watch Urbane LTE with LTE support and 700mAh battery should be released soon. True, they will be released on surprise surprise webOS almost deceased. In general, we must look and feel.
And about the possible future of interfaces in general. I already wrote about the spinning wheel (by the way, it's funny again, Apple advises washing the watch head with running water). In addition to this idea, there is another interesting notion. The guys from Deus Ex Technology came out on a kickstarter with a draft of sensors that control the clock with a brush movement.
They connect directly to Pebble (therefore, the kit costs $ 69), and for Android Wear use Bluetooth. Therefore, the kit costs as another smart watch - $ 169.
Findings:
Alas, but so far smart watches do not offer anything revolutionary. At the moment, this is a slightly wiser chronometer, which is trying to die every two days. However, if you have a clear idea why they need you - for me, for example, the SMS passwords and unlocking via Bluetooth were decisive - feel free to take it. They are worth it. Otherwise, it is worth waiting for the change of generations of batteries or a little more smarter Android Wear.
Afterword from iCover : Dear readers, when creating this blog, we really wanted to make not just a place to mention our store, but a platform for sharing experiences and a blog where you can get good advice or expertise in the world of gadgets. Subscribe to us and we promise - it won't be boring. The price of the models described can be viewed in our catalog of smart watches . Have a nice day.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/365667/
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